The latest plans for a new hotel attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center were presented yesterday to the development committee of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.

The new hotel will technically be an addition to the existing Hilton Downtown Columbus, located across North High Street from the convention center. The two buildings together – which will be connected via a new underground passageway – will offer a total of 1,000 rooms, the size that Experience Columbus has arguedfor years is the key to attracting larger conventions to the city.

Renderings show a 26-story building (four stories taller than an earlier concept presented last March) featuring a glass and brick facade as well as large windows on the lower levels overlooking High Street and offering views of Downtown to the south.

A report produced by the New York-based architecture firm Cooper Carry contained the new renderings as well as information about the project’s timeline and a detailed analysis of the programming of each floor.

Twenty stories in the building’s main tower would hold the hotel rooms and suites, with restaurants tentatively planned for the ground floor and the top floor. The remaining floors would hold meeting rooms, amenity space and multiple kitchens.

With a final design not scheduled to be ready until next spring, changes could still be made to the concept. The Downtown Commission will also need to sign off on the look of the building before construction starts. The report projected a groundbreaking by next summer, with work continuing for about two years.

Also on the project’s design team, in addition to Cooper Carry, is Jeffrey Beers International, JLL and local firm Meyers + Associates.

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Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He was born and raised in Grandview Heights and has a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from OSU.

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Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He was born and raised in Grandview Heights and has a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from OSU.